


Finding Love

by Amyrose47



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Beekeeper Castiel (Supernatural), Bisexual Dean Winchester, Destiel - Freeform, Lawyer Sam Winchester, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Nurse Jessica Moore, Pastor Castiel, Religious Castiel, Uncle Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-08 03:49:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16421873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amyrose47/pseuds/Amyrose47
Summary: Dean tells Sam and Jess that he's finally ready to settle down. Jess talks him into coming to church with them, where he's introduced to a bunch of new people. Though it's the Pastor with the sex hair that catches his attention.





	1. Feeling Restless

**Author's Note:**

> The explicit rating applies to the last chapter only.

Dean stood, leaning against his impala in a school drop off zone. He heard a bell ring and then watched as kids began pouring out of the elementary school. A few minutes later, he spotted his niece, Laura. "Uncle Dean, Uncle Dean!" She called excitedly, running up to him. He squatted down and opened his arms wide to scoop her into a giant hug. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and she giggled. "Uncle Dean, I learned a lot at preschool." She told him. "Yeah?" He asked. "Yeah. And my friend, Addy, she got in trouble from the teacher." She gossiped. Dean feigned shock. "No!" He gasped. Laura giggled and nodded yes. "But you didn't get in trouble today, did you Little Laurie?" He asked, raising a brow. "No." She declared. "Are you sure?" Dean asked her. Laura nodded yes again. "Are you super sure?" He teased. Laura laughed in anticipation of what was about to happen. She knew her uncle's antics very well. Dean slowly brought a hand up and then stopped it right in front of her belly. "I'm sure!" She squealed. Still, Dean launched his hand at her belly and tickled her for several seconds. Her laughter melted his heart and he grinned ear to ear. "Uncle Dean!" Another voice called out. Dean's attention turned back toward the school. "Thomas! What's up little dude?" He asked his nephew. "How's the first grade treating you?" He set Laura down next to him and gave his nephew a fist bump, per their usual greeting. Thomas smiled and shrugged. "I don't know, it's just school. My teacher's cool though." He said. "Right on." Dean replied. He helped load his niece and nephew into their car seats in the back of the impala, then headed towards his brother's house.

"Ah. You let them have ice cream?" Sam huffed when he came through the door, briefcase in tow. "Yeah, dude. That's what Uncle's are for." Dean replied incredulously. "Daddy!" The kids yelled in excitement upon their father's arrival. They came barreling at their dad. "Hi guys!" He greeted his kids. He handed Dean his briefcase and then picked up Thomas and Laura into a crushing hug. "Daddy! You're smooshing me!" Laura giggled. "Can't. Breathe." Thomas exaggerated. Sam lowered the children to the floor and off they went racing back into the living room to play. Sam chuckled."Hey, thanks for picking them up from school. I had a case that went longer than I anticipated." Sam explained. "Happy to help Sammy." Dean smiled. "What time will Jess be home from work?" He asked. "About 8 o'clock." Sam answered. "Just in time to put the kids to bed. Well hey, why don't you let me stick around and I'll put some steaks on the grill for us later? Laura and Thomas already ate." Dean said. "More than just ice cream, I hope." Sam laughed. "Sounds good Dean. I'm gonna go put my things away and change out of this suit." Sam informed. 

When 8 o'clock rolled around, Jess arrived home and got the kids ready for bed. Meanwhile, out on the back patio, Dean grilled some steaks and a few servings of corn on the cob. Sam set the patio table for dinner after helping Jess give the kids a bath. "You are rocking that wet look." Dean joked when Sam came outside with an armful of plates. "Ha ha, you're hilarious." Sam said flatly, but a small grin gave way. "Seriously, did you even have enough water left in the tub to rinse them off with?" Dean laughed. "Shut up, Jerk." Sam quipped. "Bitch." Dean automatically replied. Sam chuckled and went back inside for the silverware. Dean took a serving plate from the table and filled it with Sirloins, and then did the same for the corn on the cob. He went inside to grab condiments, sides, and drinks from the fridge. By the time Sam returned with the silverware, in a dryer outfit, dinner was all ready. "Is Jess comin'?" Dean asked. "Yeah, Laura just wanted some extra bedtime stories tonight." Dean nodded and opened two beers, giving one to his brother. "She loves her mom. I gotta tell ya, Sammy, you really did pick a good one. And your kids are pretty awesome." Dean complimented. "Thanks. I got really lucky finding her." Sam smiled. "And I love seeing you play with Thomas and Laura. You're a natural." He added before taking a long sip from his beer. Dean also took a gulp of beer and then started to load up his plate with food. "Yeah. I love my niece and nephew, but I don't think I'd be cut out to be a parent, myself." Dean shrugged. "Though, settling down with someone is starting to seem like a nice idea." Dean admitted. "Really?" Sam asked, surprised at his brother's confession. "Yeah, I think so. I've probably sewn enough wild oats for two people." He chuckled. Sam began loading himself a plate as well. "I've had my fill of one night stands, drunken bar fights, and wild parties. It would be nice to find someone to build a life with. You know? Wake up to the same face every morning, go on new adventures together, surprise them with gifts every once in a while." Dean found that he was starting to blush from talking about all the romantic stuff. "Wow, Dean. I think that's awesome." His little brother commented. "The only problem is, I wouldn't even know where to start looking for someone to date." Dean said. "Well." Sam started, gathering his thoughts. "The best way to meet someone that likes you for you, is to keep doing the things that you love doing. You're bound to find someone you're interested in eventually. Maybe they'll be a customer at Bobby's shop and you'll work on their car, or maybe you'll meet them at a car show, or music store." He offered. "While Sam makes a good point, you are in your forties already, Dean." Jess said, walking out onto the patio. "Jess.." Sam scolded. "What? It's true." She objected as she sat next to her husband and began filling a plate with food. "You two didn't have to wait for me to start eating." She smiled. "This looks and smells amazing, Dean. Thank you." She told him. "Hey, you've been working hard, saving lives and stuff. It's the least I could do." Dean told her. Her smile brightened at that statement. "Well, Dean, you are definitely going to make somebody very happy. And while I do agree with Sam, I also think that it might be a good idea for you to try some new things too. Maybe even some things that are out of your comfort zone." Jess advised. All three adults began to dig in to their food. Dean was pretty pleased with his cooking. "Dude, this tastes amazing. You are like, the grill master." Sam praised. Dean beamed with pride. "So, uh, Jess. What kind of things do you think I should try? Like, what did you mean, 'outside of my comfort zone'?" He asked before stuffing his mouth full of food. "Hmm....well, you could always join Sam and I at church?" She offered. "Church?" Dean asked. "That would be outside of your comfort zone." Sam input, fighting back a smart-ass grin. Dean shot him a look. "Right." Jess agreed with Sam. "And, there are quite a few single girls, and guys, that attend." She told him. Dean lifted a brow at Sam. "What?!?" He said raising his fork defensively. "It's not a secret, Dean." Dean looked at his brother and nodded. It wasn't, he just didn't like to go around announcing his sexual preferences. "Ah, what the hell. I'll go with you on Sunday. But only the one time, to scope it out." Dean insisted. Sam and Jess both laughed. "Deal." Jess told him. "And if that doesn't work, we could sign you up for an advanced cooking course, or set you up an online dating profile." She suggested. "Wow. You're not gonna. stop until I've got a date, huh?" Dean laughed. "Consider me you're match-maker, or love guru, or whatever it's called." She giggled. Oh, boy. Dean was in for it now. 

Three days later, Dean's alarm went off the ass crack of dawn. Dean groaned in protest. He was sprawled out laying face down across his bed. "What the fuck." He said groggily into his pillow. He lifted his head, eyes squinting, and slammed his hand down on his alarm clock to shut it the hell up. 'What is wrong with people. Who wants to go to church at 8am on a Sunday?' Dean thought bitterly. He yawned deeply and sat up. The red numbers on the little clock read 7:01am. UGH. Dean rubbed the sleep from his eyes and placed his feet down onto the carpeted floor of his bedroom. 'Maybe a nice hot shower will help wake me up.' Dean effectively turned his apartment bathroom into a sauna with scolding hot water creating massive amounts of steam. The hot water felt really good and Dean didn't want to leave the shower, but he also didn't want to get bitched at by Jess for being late. The cold bedroom air hit him full force as he exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Shit!" Dean swore. He was definitely awake now. 'Brrr...' Dean all but ran over to his dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers from the top drawer. He shoved them on as he riffled through another drawer looking for something presentable. He ended up in his least distressed pair of jeans, a long sleeve red plaid button down with a neutral undershirt, his trusty pair of cowboy boots, and a winning smile. Though the smile was a little forced at this hour. "Alright, here we go." Dean told himself. 

Dean arrived at the church a little earlier than he meant to. Still, the parking lot was filling up quickly. A silver Lexus SUV pulled in next to the impala only a few minutes after Dean had parked. "Jeez Sammy." Dean remarked as his giant brother stepped out of the vehicle. "You guys are really up and at 'em." Sam huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, Dean. Well, we can't all sleep in." Dean opened one of the back doors to reveal a bright eyed and bushy tailed Laura. "Uncle Dean!" She squealed. "Little Laurie!" Dean exclaimed. He helped release her from her car seat and then grabbed her up into his arms. "I want to be an airplane!" Laura shouted. "An airplane? What about, a superhero?" Dean suggested. He lifted her into the air with her body cradled by one of his muscular arms, and then slowly ran forward allowing his niece to feel like she was flying. He even hummed her a silly theme song on the way inside. At the main entrance Dean waited for Sam, Jess, and Thomas to catch up, since he had no idea where she was supposed to go. Many of the people coming in smiled at Dean, having seen his silly display. "You're a riot." Jess told him before grabbing Laura from Dean. "Alright Superhero, let's go to Sunday School!" She told her daughter. Sam followed in behind hand in hand with Thomas. "Alright buddy, off to Sunday School." He told him. Thomas followed his mom down the stairs. "Heya Sam!" Someone greeted from behind the brothers. Sam turned around to see who it was. "Hey Gabe! Good morning." Sam greeted in return, shaking his friends hand. "And who's this handsome fella?" Gabe asked, wagging his eyebrows. Sam laughed, Gabe was such a character. "This is my brother, Dean." He informed. "Dean, this is Gabriel Novak." Sam introduced. "Pssh. Please, so formal. You can call me Gabe." He told Dean, shaking his hand as well. "Gabe. Nice to meet you." Dean told him with a wink. Gabe's face lit up at the gesture. "Good morning Gabe!" Jess said cheerily, joining them now that the kids were squared away. "Good morning Jess!" Gabe replied, giving her a quick hug. "Dean, I want to introduce you to a few people." She told him, grabbing him by the hand. Sam stayed back to chat with Gabe and Jess introduced Dean to a few of her church friends before the service started. Though no one except Gabe had really held his attention. That is until after he, Sam, and Jess were seated in the fifth row and the worship songs were sung...

"Good morning, welcome to all." An impossibly deep and gravelly voice spoke from behind the podium. 'Oh, not fair.' Dean thought as he took in the sight of the pastor. Dean's eyes scanned over the man's dark and disheveled hair, lightly golden tan skin, piercing blue eyes, his five o'clock shadow and his full lips. The blue shirt he wore under a dark grey jacket really made his eyes stand out. He looked like a physical manifestation of sex. "It looks like we might have some newcomers, so allow me to introduce myself and the church. I'm Pastor Castiel Novak, and I'm the lead pastor. My brother Gabriel, and good friend Sam, are also pastors here. United Calvary Methodist Church was established only nine years ago, and while we are a newer church we still hold stead fast to the rules and wisdom of churches long ago. For we can learn from our past as we grow in our future." Castiel explained. 'Cas-ti-el? What kind of a name was that?' Dean wondered. 'And Gabe is his brother. I didn't peg Gabe for a pastor. Huh.' The whole service ended up being lost on Dean, he didn't absorb a word that was said. He was too enthralled with the way the pastor looked and the way he spoke. The hour long sermon flew by and all too soon, the church was dismissed. Dean stood when Sam and Jess did, and followed them to the front of the church, where other members were gathered to gossip. "What did you think?" Sam asked his brother. "Huh? Yeah. It was good." Dean responded. "You aren't one of the pastors here, are ya Sammy?" He joked when he remembered that there was a pastor Sam. Jess and Sam both burst out in laughter. Some nearby people gave them strange looks. "No. I am definitely not a pastor." Sam laughed. Jess introduced him to yet more church goers. He gave her a 'Really?' look after a few minutes. "I'm just trying to introduce you to as many people as I can, since you won't be joining us again." She told him. "Ah, that's a shame. We really love to see newcomers at our church." Pastor Castiel cut in. Dean hadn't realized that the pastor had made his way over to them. "My apologies for ease dropping, I was just coming over to say hello." Castiel added. "That's okay Pastor." Jess told him. "I actually need to go grab the kids from downstairs." She said before heading off. "Sam, good to see you." Castiel said, shaking his hand. "Good to see you too Castiel. How's the garden doing?" Sam asked, clasping a hand on his shoulder. Castiel smiled brightly. "The garden is quite plentiful this year. God has been very gracious." He answered. "Pastor Castiel, this is my brother Dean." Sam said introduced. "Hello Dean. It's wonderful to meet you." Castiel said sincerely. "I do hope that you consider joining us again next week. Pastor Gabriel will be giving a delightful sermon about acceptance." Dean cringed. He didn't really correlate churches with acceptance. "Acceptance. Ah. And just how accepting is your church? You know, since you are rooted in churches of old and all?" Dean inquired. "Dean!" Sam scolded. "No, no. It's perfectly alright Sam." Castiel told him. "You may find that this church is very open minded about today's controversial views." Castiel told him. "Hmm, well, I may just have to come again next Sunday to find out." Dean stated with a polite smile. "Also, I have just got to know the story behind your name. It's quite a mouthful." Dean told him. Sam elbowed Dean in the side. "What?" Dean mouthed at him. "Yes, well, my parents were very religious. I happen to be named after an angel, as well as my brother, Gabriel." Dean nodded. "Cool. Sam was named after our grandfather on our mom's side." He told the pastor. "Family names are very special." Castiel commented, his eyes locked on Dean's. Just then Laura ran over to Dean. "Hey there, little Laurie!" Dean smiled and scooped her up. "How was Sunday School?" He asked. "It was fun. I colored a picture for you." She told him. "You did?" Laura nodded her head. "Well aren't you just the sweetest little girl?" He said, tickling her belly. She squealed and giggled until he stopped. "Uncle Dean. No fair." She laughed. "You're right. I should tickle Thomas too!" Dean said before reaching down and tickling Thomas as well. "No!" He squealed happily. "Uncle Dean!" He laughed before running behind Pastor Castiel. The pastor looked over at Dean fondly. Jess laughed and shook her head. "Pastor Castiel, how's the garden?" She asked. "It's doing wonderfully! It seems to be more bountiful each year." He beamed. "That is so great!" Jess exclaimed. "Please excuse me. I need to engage with other members." Castiel said, when another member waved at him. "Do make sure you bring this one back with you next week." He told Jess gesturing towards Dean. "Oh, well I can try." She laughed. Castiel nodded and then left to talk to other church members. 

Dean wasn't sure if he wanted to go to Sam's church again, but as the week began to pass he realized that he couldn't get that dark haired, blue eyed pastor out of his mind. 'One more time won't kill me', he told himself. Actually, he found that the week was going by much slower than usual. Bobby seemed to notice that Dean's mind was wondering. "You okay there, son?" He asked him more than once this week. "Yeah. Sorry Bobby. I'm fine." He'd answer from underneath a hood or an entire car. "Mmm hmm." Bobby would respond unconvinced. When Dean's alarm went off on Sunday morning, he got out of bed happily and started his morning routine. Dean got to the church early again to meet up with Sam, Jess, and the kids. Jess showed Dean where the kids went downstairs and they chatted with the teacher for a bit. When they got back upstairs, Sam had saved them a seat in the second row. Dean let Jessica slide in next to her husband, and he took the aisle seat. A smile played across Dean's face when he saw Castiel sitting just in front of him. "Hey Cas!" Dean greeted the man cheerfully. The pastor turned around with a puzzled expression from the unfamiliar nickname. "Dean! I'm glad you made it." He smiled brightly. Dean's heart skipped a beat. God, that man was sinfully hot. The music began to play and Cas turned back around to sing in worship. After the music died down, Gabe took his place behind the podium. "Good morning! Thank you for joining us this week. I would like to begin by thanking everyone for their generous donations towards the hurricane relief fund. We were overwhelmed by the amount of support we've received. I would also like to ask everyone to keep Matthew and Jennifer's son, Wyatt, in their prayers. He was recently diagnosed with stage two stomach cancer, and he has a rough road of recovery ahead of him." Pastor Gabe began. He paused to allow the news to sink in. "Now, today's message is all about acceptance. Which is something that many of us struggle with on a daily basis. See, we are all sinners." Gabe said as he moved from behind the podium to stand center stage. He used his hands to emphasize certain words as he spoke. "Every last one of us has sinned, and we will again. It is inevitable because it is simply in our nature as human beings to do so. Though we, as Christians, strive to be more Christ-like, we will always fall short. And that's okay. To be a follower of God is not to be devoid of sin, but to be able to acknowledge your sinful ways and try your best to avoid them. God does not expect perfection, he only wants a relationship with you, his child. Whom he knows and loves just the same. For God is love." Gabriel said. "Amen!" A voice shouted out from the pews. Dean leaned forward, listening intently. He was very much intrigued by the pastor's words. Gabe continued his sermon speaking with wisdom and experience. At the end of the sermon Gabe concluded saying, "God accepts you the way that you are, because he made you just the way that you are." That struck a chord with Dean. Maybe this church wasn't so bad after all. Dean stuck around after the service and chatted with a few of the members Jess had introduced him to. He said goodbye to Sam, Jess, and the kids when they left a little while later. Dean waited for the church to empty out so that he could talk to Pastors Gabe and Cas alone. It took over thirty minutes for the last remaining church members to file out. "Dean. What did you think of the service?" Cas asked him, when he approached the brothers. "That was a very inspiring sermon." He admitted. Gabe smiled at the compliment. "I'm glad you thought so." Gabe said. A buzzing sounded from the shorter pastors pocket. "Please excuse me." He said, pulling his cell phone out from his pocket and answering it. "Yo, this is Gabe." He said as he walked away with the phone pressed to his ear. Dean chuckled. "He is quite the character, my brother." Cas smiled. "Hey Cas, what is the church's view on sexual orientation?" Dean asked. Cas looked startled by the forwardness of the question for a moment. "Our church believes that God is utterly indifferent to sexual orientation." He informed Dean. "Wait, really?" Dean asked, a bit skeptical. Cas laughed gently. "I should hope so, seeing as we have a gay pastor!" He exclaimed. "Oh." Dean smiled sheepishly. "Gabe is strictly into dudes?" Dean asked. Cas nodded in response. "Yes. Always has been." He said matter-of-factually. "What was that like with religious parents?" Dean asked. Cas' smile disappeared from his face. "I'm sorry, I just...you don't have to answer that." Dean immediately regretted asking. "It's just...it's a long story." Cas explained with a sigh. "Maybe I'll tell it to you if you come to next weeks service." He offered. Dean nodded. "See you next Sunday then Cas."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas shows Dean the garden and they harvest some fresh honey. They both delve into their painful pasts.

Dean woke up bright and early on Sunday. He put on a classic rock station to listen to and then hopped into a steaming hot shower. Afterwards he spent a little extra time putting product in his hair to get it just the way he liked it. He put careful thought into his wardrobe, deciding on a burgundy button down with a black undershirt, a nice pair of jeans, and his cowboy boots. 'Perfect' He thought as he checked himself out in the mirror. Dean all but raced to the church since he was running a bit late. He grabbed up a parking spot at the back of the lot and made his way inside. He found Sam and Jess sitting in a crowded pew towards the front. "Hi Dean!" Jess greeted cheerfully. "We weren't sure if you were going to come." She told him. "Yeah, I was actually surprised you came last week." His brother stated. "Did you find someone you might be interested in?" Jess asked, her face lighting up. "Oh. Uh, yeah, actually." Was all Dean responded. Worship music began to play and Dean quickly excused himself to find an open seat. He managed to squeeze into the third row and he looked around for Cas, whom he saw singing in the front row aisle seat. Dean smiled, he could barely make out the pastor's deep tone but he imagined that he had a nice singing voice. When the when the music stopped, Cas sat down. Another man from the front row stood and made his way to the podium. "Welcome to United Calvary Methodist Church!" The blonde man exclaimed. "I'm pastor Sam. It's great to see the church so packed this morning. And what a glorious morning it it. Every morning is, if you think about. Yes? God has given you the air in your lungs, the ability to experience another day on Earth." Pastor Sam preached an in depth sermon about being Thankful. Time seemed to pass slower this time for Dean, but eventually the sermon was wrapped up and the church was dismissed. Dean then made his way to the front of the church to mingle. "Dean!" A voice called, Dean turned around to see Gabe coming over. "Hey, I'm glad to see we didn't scare you away!" He laughed, clasping a hand on the taller man's shoulder and giving a slight squeeze. Dean chuckled in response. "Yeah, I guess not. It's actually kinda growing on me." Dean said truthfully. "Good! We'll make a church member outta you yet." Gabe exclaimed. "So, Dean, tell me a bit about yourself. All I know about you is that you're Sam's brother and that you're pretty easy on the eyes." Gabe said with a wink. That earned another chuckle from Dean. "Ah, well, what's to tell?" Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. He wasn't one to talk much about himself. "I mean, I work as a mechanic over at Bobby's Auto Shop on third. I love old cars and classic rock, and I'm pretty handy with a tool box." He told the pastor. "Nice! I'll have to keep that in mind. What's your favorite song?" He asked. "It's a tie between 'Ramble on' and 'Traveling Riverside Blues'." Dean answered. "Can't go wrong with Zeppelin. You are definitely a classic man, Dean Winchester." Gabe observed. "That's me." Dean flashed a cocky smile. He caught sight of Sam, Jess, and the kids leaving. "Excuse me, I want to go say bye to my niece and nephew." Dean told Gabe, who nodded politely. Dean rushed out of the church and caught up to them at their car. "Dude, what's the hurry?" He asked his brother. "Oh. Sorry. We didn't want to interrupt your conversation with Gabriel." Sam explained, a blush creeping up on his face. 'He thinks I have a thing for Gabe. It would probably be easier if I did, at least I know he bats for the home team.' Dean thought, rolling his eyes. "What?" Sam asked. "Nothing. I just wanted to come say goodbye to my favorite niece and nephew." He said, giving Thomas a fist bump. He smiled at Laura and gave her a high five. "Bye guys. Be good for your mom and dad, okay?" He said, lowering his head and raising his eyes to emphasize. "Okay Uncle Dean." They replied, almost in unison. He gave Jess a hug, and then his brother. "We'll see you on Wednesday, yeah?" Sam asked. "Of course." Dean told him.

When Dean returned to the church there were only a few members left chatting. Castiel was in the corner talking with Gabriel. Dean walked over and the brothers concluded their conversation. "Dean. I'm glad to see you again." Cas said, a small smile forming on his gorgeous face. Dean felt himself blush, happy that Cas liked seeing him. 'What are you, twelve? Say something back.' "Yeah, well, I guess I just couldn't stay away." He declared. A stupid grin playing across his features. Dean cleared his throat and got his face under control. "Besides, you owe me a story." Cas chuckled. "I suppose I do." Gabe looked between Cas and Dean, wondering if he was seeing something there. "Well then, I'll leave you two be." Gabriel declared before shuffling off down a hallway. "How do you feel about Bees?" Cas asked Dean. "Bees?" Dean asked, confused as to why he would ask. "Yes. Honeybees." Cas clarified. "I don't know. I mean, I'm not afraid of them, but I do my best to avoid them." Dean answered. Cas nodded. "Follow me." He ordered. Dean obeyed, following Cas down the same hallway Gabe had just gone down. There were plenty of doors but Cas lead him to the one in the back. It lead outside, behind the church, where there was a stunning garden. 'This must be the garden Sam and Jess asked about.' Dean took in the beautiful sight of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The garden was very large and well organized. "Wow, Cas. This is..." Dean didn't know what word to use to describe it. He walked forward, taking in the striking colors of the flowers, admiring the plump and colorful produce. Cas watched as Dean reached out and carefully cradled a white rose, leaning in to smell it's sweet perfume. Cas smiled warmly, enjoying Dean's admiration of his garden. It was something he was proud of, though he did try to be humble about it. "Gardening is a passion of mine." Cas explained. "You did all of this?" Dean asked in awe, continuing to walk down the path. "I started the garden when the church was first built. Though now I tend to it with the help of some of my flock, as it is quite large." Cas replied. "It's amazing." Dean stated. Cas' smile grew bigger. Dean liked the look on him. As they neared the end of the garden, Dean heard a loud buzzing sound. 'Bees.' He stopped walking and turned to Cas. "Do you...keep bees?" He asked, surprised. "Yes. I find it quite calming and very rewarding." Cas answered. "Cool." Dean said. "How do you collect the honey without being stung?" He inquired. "Here, let me show you." Cas offered. Dean kept his distance from the hives, but watched as Cas collected some items from the shed in the back corner. Cas rejoined Dean and put on a beekeepers suit. All the while explaining what the rest of the items were. He filled a smoker with paper and dried lavender (which he grew in the garden) and then struck a match, dropping it inside. Once the smoke got going, Cas walked over to one of the hives and removed the roof and outer layer. He poured in smoke as he cracked open the hive with a metal tool. Then he scanned over the frames, looking to see which ones were ready to harvest. He removed two of them that were ready and used a gentle brush to remove the remaining bees from them. Setting them aside and covering them, he replaced the outer casing and the roof to the hive. Cas then took the frames to the shed and waved Dean over. Once Dean was inside, Cas closed the door and took off his beekeeping suit. "Would you like to help retrieve the honey from the frames?" He asked Dean. "Sure, why not." He replied. Cas handed him one and then gave him a knife. He took the other and grabbed a knife for himself as well. "Take the knife and scrape off the top layer of wax on both sides." He instructed. Meanwhile, with his frame, Cas cut the honeycombs out of the frame and then sliced them into thin chunks. He put most of them into glass jars and then grabbed Dean's frame to put into the extractor. "It will take a few hours for the honey to get extracted from the combs." He told Dean while putting lids on the jars. "But I cut us a few pieces of fresh honeycombs we can eat. The wax is edible if you don't mind the chewy texture. Why don't we take these to my office and we can eat them while we talk?" He suggested. Dean nodded his approval.

Cas' office was behind one of the doors in the hallway. It was a quaint little room with a desk, some chairs, and a bookshelf. Cas laid the glass plate containing honeycombs on his desk and then sat on one of the chairs in front of it. Dean sat on the adjacent chair facing the pastor. "That's an awful lot of work for some honey." Dean commented. Cas chuckled. "Have you ever had fresh honey from a hive?" He asked. "No..." Dean said sheepishly. Cas picked up a small piece and cupped his hand underneath of it to catch any dripping honey. Then he leaned forward and fed a bite to Dean. "Mmm!" Dean quickly realized what Cas was talking about. "Oh my God. That is divine." Dean said, mouth full of sticky honey. Cas laughed at the irony of those words and Dean's lack of table side manners. The sound made Dean's heart melt and he grinned ear to ear. Cas set down Dean's honeycomb and grabbed one for himself. Dean watched intently as Cas took a decently sized bite. Cas closed his eyes. "Mmm..." He moaned and sat back in his chair. He savored the taste for a moment then reopened his eyes and returned the honeycomb to the plate. He licked his lips and then his fingers, where they had gotten sticky with honey. 'Holy shit. That is hot.' Dean wondered if Cas was doing these things on purpose or if he was really that clueless. Dean absentmindedly licked his lips and then he crossed his legs to hid the fact that the pastor had him so turned on. 'This is so wrong.' "So, Cas..." Dean cleared his throat, trying to focus on something else. "Tell me your story. I want to hear about your upbringing." He encouraged. Cas withdrew his fingers from his mouth. "Right. Well, let's see. Gabriel is three years older than me. And for as long as I can remember, Gabe has never been attracted to girls. My mom and dad were very strict. They didn't allow us to date at all until we turned 18, so for a long time Gabriel's sexual orientation didn't really matter. Still, our parents had their suspicions and they practically banned anything considered "girly" from the household. We were raised up in the church and it's always felt like my home, like it's where I belong. Gabe, however, had quite a rebellious streak in his teens. At first, he started sneaking out to go to high school parties. After a while he began to drink and smoke and head down a dangerous path. My parents tried, in their own way, to help him. However, when they found out that he had been hooking up with other guys..." Cas looked at Dean with a deep sadness in his eyes. He sighed heavily. "They kicked him out of the house when he was 16. I was furious. I confronted them about it and I asked them how they could turn away their own son if they were truly followers of Christ. I can't remember what excuse they gave me, but I know they did it because they didn't want the church to look down on them. And I thought, I don't want to be a part of a church that condemns and judges it's members. I struggled with my beliefs for a while, but then I realized that the problem wasn't with my beliefs. It was with churches and people that only used bits and pieces of the bible to fit their twisted views. I decided that I wanted to build and lead a church that loved, accepted, and supported it's members. No matter their flaws." Cas' eyes were wet with tears. "And you did." Dean whispered. Cas nodded. "I did." A faint smile pulled at Cas' lips. "So, you didn't start dating until you were 18?" Dean asked, flabbergasted by the thought. Cas let out a strangled laugh. "Is that what you took away from my story?" Dean smiled mischievously. "Only one of the things, but that's just a bit...shocking, to me." Dean said. Cas shook his head. "I've been on a handful of 'dates', but I've just never been drawn to anyone, I guess. Besides, I'd rather dedicate my time to helping people." Cas said. "Wow." Dean said simply, trying to process that information. "That sounds a bit lonely." Dean shrugged. Cas nodded and bit his lower lip. "I hope that someone draws you in though. It'd be a shame to miss out on being cared for. It sounds like you've never really been cared for." Cas' mouth fell slightly open at that statement. He wanted to protest, but he couldn't, because Dean was right. He closed his mouth and looked away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset." Dean apologized. A single tear fell from Cas' beautiful eyes and he shook his head. "No. It's okay Dean. You were just being sincere. I should be the one to apologize. I didn't know I'd feel this way about it." Dean didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't. "Would you like to hear about my past?" Dean asked him. "You don't have to reciprocate." Cas told him. "Has Sam spoken to you about anything happening before Stanford?" Dean questioned. Cas shook his head no. "I'm the older brother. I was four when the house we were living in caught fire." Cas looked up at Dean. "Sam was only a baby. My dad handed him to me and told me to run outside as fast I could. He went back after my mom. After a few minutes my dad came running out, yelling at the firemen that had just arrived. My mom died in that fire." Cas held Dean's gaze, breathing deeply. "My dad, he was never the same after. He became an alcoholic, trying to drown out the pain of losing my mom. I practically ended up raising Sammy myself. My dad didn't really care what Sam and I did. He spent what money he did make on booze, so I'd steal food and things that we needed. I made sure Sam did his homework and got good grades. Mine sucked, and I dropped out of school my sophomore year. Thank God I'm passionate about cars and my Uncle's a mechanic. I started working at his shop as soon as I turned 16. I ended up living with my Uncle too after my dad found out..." Dean took a deep breath. "...after he found out that I was bisexual." Dean barely managed to whisper. Now it was Dean's turn to get teary eyed. "My dad, he called me some truly horrible names and then he beat me within an inch of my life. Sam found me and called 911. I spent a week in the hospital, and then Sam and I went to live with our Uncle Bobby. I worked hard at the auto shop for the next several years and I helped put Sam through college. I'm still immensely proud of him for following his dream and becoming a lawyer. I always knew he had it in him." Dean smiled. Cas leaned forward and firmly put a hand on Dean's knee. "Dean. I'm so sorry that you had such a rough past." He removed his hand and returned it to his lap. "That took a lot of strength and a lot of love to do what you did for Sam." Cas stated. "Though, it sounds like you're in the same boat as me. You've spent you're life caring for others but you yourself have never truly been cared for either. I hope you find that as well." He said sincerely. "Thanks Cas." Dean picked up his honeycomb from the plate and took another bite. "Perhaps on a happier note, you could tell me a little about your current life." Cas suggested. Dean nodded. He waited until he was finished with his bite and then he spoke. "Well, as you know,I work as a mechanic in town. I'm also pretty good with handyman type work too. I love old cars and classic rock. I love spending time with Laura and Thomas. Oh, and I love good tasting food. That about sums me up." Dean said. "I've seen you with your niece and nephew. It's wonderful that you play and have fun with them. You can tell they really love you." Cas told him. "Old cars, rock and roll, and good food." Cas reiterated, as if memorizing it. "You're a classic man." Dean nodded. "So I've been told." "Do you drive a classic car?" Cas inquired. "A jet black 1967 Chevy Impala, she's my baby." Dean grinned. Cas returned the smile. "You should come to the car show being held downtown this Wednesday night, I'll have my baby on display. That is, if you're allowed to have fun." Dean teased. Cas chuckled and shook his head. "Of course I'm allowed to 'have fun'. I'm a pastor, Dean. Not a priest." He informed. Dean smiled a mischievous smile. "Good. The show is on Main street in the downtown strip at 6pm." He specified. "I'll be there." Cas promised.


	3. Out of the Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas meets up with Dean at a car show.

At 6pm on Wednesday night, Dean was on the downtown strip showing off his beautiful Impala. Several blocks of the street were roped off to traffic, and gorgeous cars (old and new) lined both sides of the road. There were tents with vendors along the sidewalks, handing out pamphlets and selling goods. Bobby was set up behind Dean and his baby, advertising the shop. Families and car enthusiasts walked along, admiring cars, eating treats from the various vendors, and engaging with the car owners. "She's as beautiful as always!" Dean heard Sam exclaim from behind him. He turned around to see Sam, Jess, and the kids. "Thanks!" Dean smiled proudly. "It really is a gorgeous car, and you do a great job of keeping it running smoothly." Jess praised. Laura and Thomas didn't bother to comment, as they were elbow deep into a bag of candied caramel corn. Jess was going to have an interesting night, trying to put those two to bed. "So...how are things going with you and Gabe?" Sam practically whispered. Dean gave him a look. "I don't think this is exactly the right place to talk about that." Dean said, looking around at the growing crowd of people. "That good, huh?" Sam replied. Dean chuckled at that. "I'll fill you in later." He told his brother. "Sounds good." Sam said, before he and his family wandered off to look at the booths and at other cars. "Nice Impala. What year is it?" A guy asked Dean, walking over to admire baby up close. "1967." Dean informed him. "I love the black color, it's so sleek." The guy told him. Dean nodded in agreement. "It's an underrated color, that's for sure." Dean replied. His attention wandered and he scanned the street, looking for Cas. "Do you do all of the upkeep on her, or do you have a shop that keeps her in shape?" The guy asked. Dean returned his focus back to his car. "I, uh, I do the upkeep at the shop I work for. Bobby's Auto on Third." He informed. "Bobby's Auto, huh?" The guy said. "Yep, we have a booth right over there." Dean pointed behind the car. "Awesome. I'll have to check it out." The guy said. He took another glance at baby's leather interior and then he walked over to Bobby's booth. "Dude, nice car!" A passerby shouted at Dean. He winked in response. A group of girls nearby giggled at him and he felt himself blush a little. Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. 6:18pm. His heart dropped a little and he flipped his phone shut and put it back into his pocket. 

Loads of people walked by, some of them stopping to admire baby, others just glancing on their way past, and some approaching Dean to ask questions. As the night went on the temperature, and Dean's hopefulness of Cas showing up, dropped steadily. Dean grabbed his old brown leather jacket out of the trunk and put it on over his faded AC/DC t-shirt. Sam stopped back at the Impala to say goodbye to Dean. "Sorry to cut it short, but we're gonna take off." Sam informed him. "Yeah, no worries man. Besides, you're gonna have a hell of a time getting the little ones to bed." Dean told him. "Yep." Sam confirmed, raising his eyebrows and smiling dryly. Dean almost felt bad for him. "See you later, Bitch." Dean said. Sam chuckled. "Later, Jerk." Dean grinned and shook his head as his brother disappeared into the crowd. Then he walked over to Bobby to ask how things were going. "Not too bad tonight." Bobby told him. "I had a guy ask me if you were willing to sell the Impala." Bobby chuckled. Dean raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Wow." Dean chuckled as well. Bobby knew how much baby meant to Dean, and how much time and patience hes put into her. "Well, I'll keep sending 'em your way." Dean sighed. "You alright, son?" Bobby asked him. "Yeah. Just tired." Hmm, Bobby grunted. 

The sun was almost set. Street lights buzzed on and the crowd was quickly dwindling down. Dean checked his phone again. 7:43pm. About fifteen minutes until the car show was over. Dean sat down inside the Impala, door open, and his feet still on the pavement. He sighed and looked out at all the different cars lined up nearby. He liked most of them, but the newer cars weren't really his style. Bright blue neon lights suddenly lit up underneath of a fancy car off in the distance. Dean huffed. But then, a familiar face leaned into his view, back lit by the neon blue glow. "Hello Dean." Cas greeted. Dean's breath caught in his throat. God, that man was gorgeous, especially in this lighting. Dean stood from the car. "Hey Cas! I didn't think you were going to make it." He said, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. Cas stood still for a moment and then lifted his hands to pat Deans back. Dean pulled away, blushing. "Sorry. I'm just happy to see you." Dean told him. Cas smiled. "My apologies for being so incredibly late. There was a bit of an emergency at the church that I had to deal with, and then it took me a while to walk here." Castiel explained. "You...walked? From the church?" Dean asked, surprised. "Yes." Cas answered simply. "You didn't have to do that." Dean told him. "I wanted to come see your car. You spoke very fondly of it. And, I was hoping that I would get to enjoy some festivities." Cas said, looking around at the now nearly deserted street. "Yeah, sorry, the show's wrapping up." Dean told him. Cas looked disappointed. "But...I can still show you my car, and we could go to...a bar for festivities, if you want to, that is." Dean stumbled over his words. 'Smooth.' He thought to himself. 'Asking a pastor if he wants to go to a bar.' Dean could have face-palmed himself. "I would like that very much." Cas replied with a grin. "Really?" Dean asked stupidly. Cas nodded. Dean's face lit up with a bright smile. "Cool. Well, this here is my baby." He told Cas, turning to his car. "I rebuilt her from the ground up. She's got..." Dean rambled on about the specifics of the Impala, unsure if Cas had any idea what he was talking about. Cas nodded politely as Dean spoke and watched and listened to him intently. When Dean was done showing him every part of the Impala, Cas finally spoke. "She is immaculate, Dean. You've put a lot of care into her, and it shows." He praised. Dean beamed. "Just like your garden." Dean replied. A huge smile plastered itself on Cas' face. Dean had never seen him smile like that. It made him so much more endearing. "Here, hop in." Dean instructed, walking around the car to open the passenger door for Cas. "Thank you." Cas said warmly before getting in. Dean raced back to the drivers side and slid in behind the wheel. He stuck the key into the ignition and turned it, enjoying the sound of the engine purring. That is, before his rock music started blaring out of the speakers. Startled, he quickly reached up and turned it down. Dean looked over to the pastor in his front seat, his head was tilted curiously. "Sorry." Dean apologized. 

They drove in a comfortable silence. It only took a few minutes to get to a nearby bar. Dean had only been here once or twice with Sam and Jess. It was a popular bar that had karaoke and trivia nights. He thought the Pastor might be more comfortable here than at Dean's usual place, the Roadhouse. There were plenty of parking spaces, given the early hour, and Dean parked right out front. They walked in and were immediately greeted by the smell of delicious food and the sound of patrons' cheery banter. Cas walked right over to the bar and sat on a stool, as if he'd done it a million times before. Dean followed and sat next to the beautiful blue eyed man, motioning to the busy bartender. "So, Cas..." Dean started. He shifted his weight and looked over at him, taking in the sight of his casual attire. The Pastor wore a navy blue sweater over a plaid button down and a nice pair of jeans. He looked down right angelic in the bar's romantic lighting. "What do you normally do for fun?" He questioned. "You know, besides preaching on Sundays and gardening?" Dean clarified. The bartender choose that moment to walk over. "Hey there, Pastor Castiel! It's good to see you!" She exclaimed. Cas smiled politely at her. "It is always a pleasure to see you as well, Pamela." He replied. "What can I get for you boys? Would you like your usual?" She asked. 'The usual?' Dean's mind screamed at him. "No, thank you. I think that I will have a bottle of the locally brewed beer tonight." Cas answered. Pamela smiled and looked over at Dean. "El Sol." Dean smiled and winked at the bartender. She rolled her eyes in response. Cas chuckled as she walked away to grab their beers. "She's quite a character." He mused. "Are you a regular here Padre?" Dean asked incredulously. Cas' brows furrowed and he tilted his head. "Dean, you keep confusing me for a Priest." He informed the taller man. "Pastor's are not restrained to the rules that Priest's are. I am allowed to drink, date, and otherwise enjoy myself." He laughed. Pamela returned with their beers and popped the tops off for them. "Holler if ya need me." She told them before going to tend to other patrons. "Cheers." Dean said, lifting his beer and clinking the neck of the bottle against Cas'. Cas picked up his own beer and raised it up before taking a big swig. Then he looked at the bottle thoughtfully. "Fun. Yes, well, I attend a lot of community events." Castiel said. "As the Pastor of your church, or as yourself?" Dean asked. Cas laughed again and Dean could feel himself turning red. "Both. I am myself when I'm representing the church." Cas explained. Hmm. Dean hummed. "I guess, I don't really have much of a separation. The church and I are one." Cas declared. "Bullshit." Dean called out. Cas raised an eyebrow. "You were raised in the church, so it is a part of you, but only a part. Have you ever explored any other parts of yourself?" Dean questioned. Cas shook his head. "I suppose not. After seeing what Gabriel went through..." Cas' voice trailed off but Dean understood. "Look, I'm not telling you to go wild or anything. I just think it would be good for you to try new things." Dean shrugged before taking a big gulp of his beer. Cas was quiet for a few moments, pondering Dean's words while picking at the label on his beer. "You're right." He said finally. "I've always wanted to..." Cas stopped himself. "No. No. Now you've gotta tell me." Dean pressed. Cas' face began to turn a shade of pink. He shook his head. "Come on man, you can't leave me hanging like that." Dean coaxed. "No. Well, I mean, it's something we'd have to work up to." Cas sputtered. 'He just said We, not I.' Dean's mind shouted at him. "What is it?" Dean asked excitedly. "I've always wanted to get a tattoo." Cas all but whispered. Dean couldn't help but wonder where he would get one at. That thought lead to another and now he couldn't stop picturing Cas naked. A shiver went down his spine. "Nice. I could see you with giant cross covering the inside of your forearm, or a trail of honeybees across your shoulders." Dean teased. "Yeah?" Castiel asked in a playful tone. He drained the last few drops from his bottle and sat it down. "What about you? Do you have any tattoos?" He asked Dean. Dean bit his lower lip. There were several ways he could answer that question. "I might." Dean decided to say with a cocky smile. They were both bordering on the line between playful banter and flirting. Though, Dean was pretty sure that Cas didn't have a clue that he was doing it. Mmm. Cas hummed and nodded. "We could start with something else." Dean suggested. "We could hang out at my apartment, listen to some music, maybe we could watch a movie or something." He said. "I'd like that." Cas replied.

Dean slipped some money on the counter and then he and Cas headed to the Impala. The drive to his apartment was slow, they seemed to be catching every red light, but Dean didn't care. He had his favorite mixed tape turned up and he sang along to the words when the chorus played, occasionally tapping on the steering wheel like a drum. Cas sat and absorbed the music as he watched Dean curiously. "Here we are." Dean announced when they pulled up to his apartment complex. Cas followed him up the stairs and waited patiently for Dean to unlock the door. Once inside, Cas wasn't sure what to do with himself. "Make yourself at home." Dean told him as he tossed his keys and wallet into a bowl by the door. Cas hesitantly walked over to the sofa and sat down, his eyes scanning over the living room. "Want another beer?" Dean called from the kitchen. "Sure." He called back. Cas admired the simplicity of the Decor in Dean's home. Everything served a purpose, he liked that. Dean walked over and handed him a bottle of beer. It was the same brand that Dean had ordered at the bar. Dean sat his own beer bottle down on the coffee table along with some pretzels to snack on. Then he walked over to an ancient boom box and scoured through a box of cassette tapes next to it. "Ah Ha!" He exclaimed when he found the one he was looking for. He popped it in the boom box and pressed play. Gentle plucking of guitar strings filled the room. Cas grabbed a few pretzels to munch on and Dean turned around and joined him on the couch. "This is Led Zeppelin." He told Cas as he also grabbed a handful of pretzels to eat. Cas nodded and listened to the music as he ate. It's very calming." Cas commented after a little bit. "Yeah. I love this mixed tape. It's mostly soft rock." Dean told him. Cas took a long drink from his beer to wash down the salty pretzels. "So, what else have you wanted to do but felt you couldn't?" Dean asked him. Cas shrugged. "I haven't traveled as much as I've wanted to...I'd like to experience my first kiss, among other things...maybe go skinny dipping..." As soon as Cas started he felt like he couldn't stop. He started remembering all sorts of things he wanted to try when he was younger. "...sleep under the stars...do something completely spontaneous...do something risky...I'm sorry, I'm rambling." He said. "That's okay, that's a great start." Dean encouraged. "I've never been drunk." Cas stated bashfully. Dean's heart leaped into his throat. "Do you want to get drunk tonight?" He asked hesitantly. "Tonight's as good as any. If you want." Cas said quickly. "I'll get something stronger." Dean declared, standing from the couch. Cas' stomach rapidly filled with butterflies. He wondered what being drunk would feel like. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'What am I doing? I shouldn't be at his house. This feels too intimate.' He thought. But then Dean reappeared with a bottle of Rum, a few cans of coke, and some glasses. "Coke and rum is easy to drink and usually pretty easy on the stomach too." Dean told him. "Are you cool with crashing on the couch tonight?" Cas smiled. "Yes." Something about being around Dean was very calming to him. He didn't know if it was the golden green eyes, the fact that he radiated confidence, or his cocky smile. It was concerning how potent this effect was on him though. Dean poured him a mixture of the coke and alcohol, and held it back to him. Cas took it and sipped a taste. "Not bad at all." He commented. Dean poured himself a mixture, using a bit more rum than he put in Cas'. He sat beside the shorter man and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "Don't worry Cas, I won't take you to get a tattoo after you're drunk." Dean joked. "You're never gonna look at me the same on Sunday's, are you?" Cas laughed. He continued to sip on his drink. "That's not necessarily a bad thing." Dean reassured him. "I'm starting to feel very warm and...content." Cas told the freckled man at his side. "That's the alcohol kicking in. You got a good buzz going." Dean told him. Cas nodded. "I like this song." He said, closing his eyes and letting the sound of the piano and the lyrics seep in. "Cas..." Dean started, but he stopped himself. "Hmm?" Cas hummed. Dean didn't responded so Cas opened his eyes and looked at him. "Are you okay?" He asked, putting a hand on Dean's knee. Dean swallowed roughly. "Yeah, Cas. Sorry." Dean said, waving his hand as if to swat away his thoughts. Cas sat up and placed his glass on the coffee table. "Dean, can I ask you something personal?" Cas asked, turning to face him. "Sure. Ask away." Dean replied. "How...When did you know that you were bisexual?" He questioned. Dean couldn't hide the shock on his face. "Wh..What?" Dean asked. "I'm sorry. I was just curious." Cas said. "I...I've always found both guys and girls to be attractive. I knew for sure, though, when I had my first kiss with another guy and I liked it." Dean admitted. "That makes sense." Cas stated. It didn't take much longer for Cas to pass over the line from buzzed to drunk. He and Dean carried on a conversation for well over an hour, until Cas ended up passing out. Dean grabbed a spare blanket and covered Cas before stumbling to his room, where he proceeded to crash. 

Sunlight peered through Dean's bedroom window, assaulting his eyes. He groaned and rolled over. However, he suddenly remembered that the gorgeous Pastor he's been crushing on was sleeping on his couch. He shot up out of bed and tip toed over to look out from his bedroom door. Cas was still there, sleeping. 'What am I doing?' He asked himself. 'Where am I trying to go with this?' Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Last night was really nice. Dean didn't have many friends that he was close to, and he liked sharing his interests with Cas. He felt comfortable around him and he was easy to talk to. Still, he felt guilty. He had to let Cas know that he was attracted to him, if nothing else, just to get it out in the open. Dean didn't bother changing out of the clothes he was still wearing from the night before. He wandered into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee before texting Sam. --I'm going to hell.-- A moment later his phone vibrated. --In a good way or a bad way? What did you do?-- Dean stifled a laugh. He contemplated sending Sam a picture of Castiel passed out on his couch, but decided against it. --I got a holy man drunk last night.-- Buzz, buzz. --Gabe? Also, Pastor's are allowed to drink and date, and whatnot.-- Sam quickly replied. Dean bit the inside of his cheek. --Not Gabe, Pastor Castiel.-- His phone was silent for several minutes. He grabbed some coffee mugs and poured two cups of the black liquid stuff. As he stirred in some sugar and creamer, his phone buzzed again. --You got Pastor Castiel drunk? Dude, I'm actually kind of impressed. Wait, is that who you're interested in? You might be barking up the wrong tree with him.-- 'Yeah, no shit.' Dean thought bitterly. Just then Cas began to stir. --He's starting to wake up, I'll call you later.-- Dean sent the message and then grabbed the coffee mugs, taking them to the living room. "Mornin' Sunshine. Coffee?" He offered. "Sure." Cas said, voice rough with sleep. The pastor's hair was even more wild than usual. Dean's phone vibrated in his pocket but he ignored it. Instead, he handed Cas a mug and then sat down next to him. Cas set his cup down in order to remove his stifling dark blue sweater. As he raised it up over his head, the plaid button down also came up with it and Dean got a nice glimpse of the man's toned body. Cas pulled the plaid shirt back down and discarded the sweater onto the floor. Then picked the cup back up and sipped happily on his coffee. Dean was stunned silent from having just received a non intended show. Mmm...Cas hummed. "This is very good, Dean." Cas' plaid shirt was a short sleeve one and Dean was admiring his muscular arms. He subconsciously licked his lips at the sight. "Damn Cas. Is there a weight room at the church?" Dean asked before his brain could tell him to shut up. His phone buzzed again. Cas followed Dean's gaze to his exposed arms and chuckled. He pinched his shirt and pulled it outward, then released it, letting it drop back onto his body. "I do workout regularly, only with body weight movements though. Sit ups, push ups, and the like. Plus gardening helps keep me toned up." Cas told him. Dean took his phone out of his pocket on the third vibration and turned it off. "It shows." Dean said, flipping his phone back shut and carelessly tossing onto the coffee table. "What a shame that you hide that gorgeous body away." Dean replied, unfiltered once again. Cas raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. 'Damn it!' Dean thought. 'Does he know how adorable that is?' "Dean, are you...are you attracted to me?" Cas asked, his tone higher than usual. Dean blushed. "Yeah, Cas. I mean you are insanely hot. Is anyone not attracted to you?" Dean said, exasperated. A massive smile overtook Cas' face. He laughed genuinely and shrugged. "Last night...I was drunk. You could have attempted to make an advancement, but you didn't. Thank you." Cas smiled. Dean huffed out a laugh. "I wouldn't take advantage of you. And besides, I have no idea what your orientation is." He clarified, sipping on his coffee. "Neither do I." Cas sighed. "I've been on a few dates with some really nice women, but I've never been drawn to any of them. Maybe I'm just not attracted to them." He shrugged. Dean almost spit his coffee out. He coughed and set his cup down. "I like you, though Dean. I feel comfortable around you, calm even." Cas confessed. Dean's eyes widened and his heart leaped into his throat. "Could I...possibly...kiss you?" Dean wondered if he was still asleep in his bed, dreaming. He nodded gently and scooted closer to Cas. He tentatively brought a hand up to cup Cas' stubbled jaw and leaned forward slowly. Cas placed a hand on Dean's knee to steady himself and then leaned in the rest of the way, bringing their lips together. The kiss was short and chaste but it sent sparks through them both. Dean pulled away only slightly. "Well?" He asked hopefully. Cas answered by leaning forward again kissing him harder and longer. Dean smiled into the kiss.


	4. New Experiences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas bond.

After Dean dropped Cas off at his house, which was across the street from the church, he sat in his car and checked the messages on his phone. They were all from Sam. --Wait, WHAT?!? He's at you apartment?!?--He spent the night?????--OH MY GOD!--Dean, answer your phone!-- There were 4 missed calls from his brother. He dialed Sam's number and Sam picked up on the fifth ring. "Dean! What the hell? What did you do?" His brother accused. Dean laughed. "What? All I did was invite Cas to the car show." Dean defended. "I didn't see him there." Sam observed. "Yeah, well he didn't make it there until the show was closing up. He felt bad that he missed it, so we hung out for a while instead." Dean explained. "At your apartment. And you got him drunk." Sam stated. "Yeah. He's a light weight, it didn't take much." Dean chuckled. "Did you get him drunk so that you could make a move?" Sam asked him. "Oh jeez, Sam. Do you really think that I would do that?" Silence was Sam's answer. "Okay, well, I didn't. We were just talking about things that he's never done but wanted to try, and being drunk was one of those things." Dean clarified. "So you didn't make a move on him then?" Sam pressed. "Well, not last night..." He said. "Dean! Seriously?" Sam asked exasperated. "Hey! I didn't make the move, he made a move on me this morning. Asked if I was attracted to him and I told him yes." Dean told his brother. "Oh, yeah, right." Sam retorted. "I swear Sam! And then he asked if he could kiss me." He heard Sam make a strangled sound. "You kissed Pastor Castiel?" He asked in disbelief. "Yeah, I did. And it was really sweet." Dean said, blushing. "Wow." Was all Sam could reply. "Just, wow. I did not see that one coming." Dean sighed contently. "Neither did I, but I'm happy that it did." He smiled. "Okay. It will taking some getting used to, but...okay." Sam told him. "Anyway, I've got to get back to work." Sam said, clearing his throat. "Right." Dean replied. "But you should come over for dinner on Saturday." Sam invited. "I'll be there." Dean told him.

On Friday Dean went in to work with a huge grin on his face. He hadn't stopped thinking about the kiss with Cas. "Mornin'!" Dean greeted Bobby cheerily. "What's gotten into you?" Bobby asked. "What? I'm not allowed to be happy?" He questioned the burly man. "Does this have anything to do with that guy that showed up just before the car show ended?" Bobby asked him. "You could be a psychic Bobby." Dean joked. That got a Hmph from the old man. "Well, don't do anything stupid to mess it up ya idgit. I don't need you calling off of work on account of heart break." Bobby told him. Dean laughed. "I'll try not to." Dean worked happily and diligently, and the day flew by. 

On Saturday Dean slept well into the afternoon. He hadn't slept that well in ages. He lazily got around for the day, dressing in a band t-shirt and dark jeans, putting on some coffee, and checking his phone. There was a missed call from Cas. Dean smiled at that. He pressed 'Call Back' and the Pastor answered on the second ring. "Hello Dean." "Hey Cas. What's up?" He replied happily. "I was just wondering if I could take you on a proper date." Cas asked sheepishly. Dean's smiled grew bigger. "I would love that Cas." He replied. Dean heard Cas let out a deep breath. "Good. Great. Are you going to be busy later?" Cas asked. "I'm supposed to go to Sam and Jess' house for dinner. But I could always reschedule it. Unless you want to come with me." Dean told him. There was a pause. "While I wouldn't mind having dinner with your family, I would prefer to have you to myself tonight." Dean chocked on air. Did Cas mean for that to sound so suggestive? "I...I, uh, yeah, no, that's...that sounds good Cas. I'll just text Sam and let him know something came up." Dean finally said after stumbling over his words. Cas chuckled. "I'll pick you up at 8 o'clock then." Cas told him. "8 o'clock." Dean confirmed. 

Dean was a bundle of nerves by the time 7 o'clock rolled around. He must have changed a half a dozen different times. 'Is this too casual?' He kept thinking. Cas didn't give him any sort of hint about where he was taking him. He sighed heavily. The butterflies in his stomach multiplied with every passing minute. Dean couldn't remember the last time he felt this way. At 7:30pm Dean changed for the last time. He decided on a snug black t-shirt under a long sleeve olive green button down, paired with his nicest pair of jeans. As always, Dean wore the cowboy boots that he practically lived in. He sat himself on the couch and waited for Castiel to show up. He didn't have to wait long as Castiel showed up at fifteen minutes til 8. "I hope you don't mind me being early." Castiel said when Dean opened the door. Dean grinned at Cas. He looked stunning in a simple long sleeve sky blue button down and denim, and in his hands he held a single red rose. "Cas. You look amazing." Dean complimented. "As do you Dean. Here, I brought you a rose from my garden." Cas handed him the flower and Dean brought it up to his nose to smell it's beautiful perfume. He smiled brightly and then retreated into the kitchen to find a tall cup to put it in. Cas waited patiently at the door and Dean rejoined him after the rose had been placed in water. They walked down to the parking lot and Dean wondered what kind of car Cas drove. Except, he didn't drive a car at all. Cas opened up the passenger side door to a old Ford Ranger. "A pick up truck?" Dean questioned curiously. "I don't drive all that much and the truck is nice for when I need to haul things for church events." Cas explained. Dean hopped in and Cas went around to get into the driver's seat. "Where are we going?" Dean asked. "It's a surprise." Cas told him. They drove past the town and down some back roads. Dean wondered where he could possibly be taking him, as there wasn't anything out this way. Still, they drove on until they were on an old dirt road and passing corn fields. Finally, Cas pulled down what looked like a driveway, but Dean couldn't see a house. It was more like a pathway between corn stalks. Very private and secluded. "Are we allowed to be here?" Dean asked when Cas parked the truck. "I know the owner of the property and I got permission beforehand." Cas confirmed. "Come on. I'll show you what I got planned." Cas said with a grin. Dean got out and watched Cas hop into the bed of the truck. "Hold on." He said, grabbing a big thick blanket and laying it over the truck bed. "Okay." He told Dean. Cas reached a hand down to help Dean up. In the truck bed there were more blankets, some pillows, a cooler, and a backpack. Cas opened the backpack and grabbed a laptop out of it. "I thought it would be really nice to sit here and watch a movie together while we eat. Then later we could lay and watch the stars." Cas said bashfully. "It's perfect." Dean told him. They stacked up a bunch of pillows and sat close together. Cas started the movie, Pay It Forward, while Dean opened up the cooler and dispersed the food and drinks. Cas had packed them handmade sandwiches, pickles he made from the cucumbers in his garden, a bag of potato chips, and a few ice cold bottles of beer. "You brought my favorite beer." Dean smiled. "Of course." Cas replied. They ate and watched the movie in content silence. When the food was all gone, they snuggled in close. The ending was sad and Dean ended up holding Cas in his arms to comfort him. Dean was grateful that Cas brought so many blankets because it was getting a bit chilly. When the movie ended Cas put the computer away in the backpack and then snuggled back up against Dean, leaning his head back onto the taller man's shoulder. "That was a great movie." Dean told him. "I always cry at the end, but I love the moral of the story." Cas said. Dean enjoyed the feel of his arms wrapped around Cas' waist. Cas brought a hand up to cradle Dean's face and then turned the man's face towards his own. He raised his head and met Dean's lips with his own. The kiss was unhurried and tender. Cas sat back upright and swung his legs over Dean's, so that they were face to face and then he kissed him again. "I've been wanting to do that since the last time we kissed." Cas confessed. "Me too." Dean told him. He put a hand behind Cas' neck and pulled him back in. They kissed a few more times, gentle and slow. "Bringing me flowers, feeding me, and kissing me under the stars. You're such a romantic, Cas." Dean said. "Only for you." Cas told him. They moved the pillows around and laid in the truck bed, looking up at the stars. Cas rested his head on Dean's chest and Dean pointed out some of the constellations. "This is perfect." Dean hummed. "It is." Cas agreed. "I wish we could stay here all night." Dean said wishfully. "Me too, but church is tomorrow." Cas reminded him. "Are you preaching the sermon?" Dean asked. "No. Gabe is preaching tomorrow." He informed, lifting his head and propping it up with a hand so he could look at Dean's face. "When was the last time you missed church?" Dean asked mischievously. "Dean..." Cas gently scolded. "Sorry. It's just, sleeping under the stars was one of the things you wanted to do." Dean reminded him. Cas sat up and looked up into the night sky. "That's true, however, I'm not sure I trust myself to be out here with you all night." He said honestly. Dean also sat up, and gently rubbed Cas' back with his closest hand. "I don't want to rush you into anything, Cas. I want more than just a physical relationship with you." Dean reassured. Cas nodded. "That's what I want too. It's just...I've never been attracted to anyone. And now...these new thoughts and feelings...it scares me how intense they are." Dean stopped rubbing Cas' back and instead reached a hand out to hold one of Cas'. He laced his fingers through Cas' and smiled lovingly over at him. "Being with you, it's as easy as breathing. You make me feel calm and at the same time, intrigued." Dean told him. "Have you told anyone about the kiss?" Cas asked. "Just Sam." Dean said. "I told Gabriel. He about died." Cas laughed. Dean laughed too. He could only imagine the crazy reaction Cas got. "Gabe told me to wait a day before calling you. He also said that he could tell right away that I was into you, and he gave me a lot of dating advice." Cas said. "Oh?" Dean inquired. "He told me not to rush into things too fast, because I could get my heart broken. He wasn't sure of your intentions." Cas told him. "That's fair. I'm new to the church and he doesn't know me." Dean theorized. "I guess, I just feel like I've missed out for so long that I want to make up for lost time." Cas shrugged. "Well, I've had my share of heart breaks, of being used, and using people. I just want to build a life with someone. I hope that could be you." Dean said honestly. Cas smiled at that. "You want to build a life with me, Dean?" "Yes. I do." Dean said without hesitation. Those words sent a jolt of electricity through Cas' body that melted away his apprehensions. He kissed Dean, this time rearranging himself to straddle the taller man. Dean placed his hands on Cas' hips and kissed him back. Cas pulled back and looked deep into Dean's emerald eyes, reading them. Then he leaned in again and kissed him harder, deepening the kiss with tongue. The excitement of something so new and exhilarating pulsed through Cas' veins and he moaned into the kiss. Cas let his hands explore the feel of the firm body under him. Dean's hands came up under Cas' shirt, gripping his back and keeping him in close. "Cas..." Dean moaned the Pastor's name as they parted for air. The sound went straight to Cas' dick. He was so incredibly hard. "Cas...If we keep going like this...I'm not going to be able to stop." Dean said, panting heavily. Dean's eyes were blown wide with lust and Cas could feel how hard the other man was underneath him. "Then don't stop." Cas said before grabbing two fistfuls of Dean's shirt and pulling him back in, kissing him passionately. Dean's hands grabbed Cas' perfect round ass and squeezed the firm flesh. Cas moaned at the possessive touch. Dean leaned all the way forward, laying Cas down on his back with Cas' legs still wrapped around his waist. Dean moved his kisses down Cas' jawline to his throat, where he sucked and nipped and licked. Dean pressed their bodies together, creating friction, and Castiel was a moaning mess underneath of him. Dean unbuttoned Cas' shirt while he worked on his neck. In no time, Cas' bare chest was exposed and Dean traveled his kisses downward. "Dean..." Cas cried out when Dean licked at nipped at one of Cas' nipples. He brought a hand up to the other nipple and rolled it between his fingers. He could tell Cas was becoming undone a little too quickly and so he pulled himself up to kneel. Cas sighed at the lost of contact. Dean quickly unbuttoned his own shirt and discarded it, then he grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it up overhead. Cas hungrily took in the sight of a half naked Dean. "God, you are beautiful." Cas remarked. Dean returned to laying over Cas and kissed his lips. Cas loved the feel of his bare skin against Dean's. "Tell me what you want." Dean whispered into his ear. Cas couldn't think coherently. What did he want? Well, he knew at this rate he wasn't going to be able to last long enough to go all the way. "I want your mouth wrapped around my cock." Cas growled. "Oh fuck yes." Dean responded. He wasted no time undoing Cas' jeans. He tugged them roughly down and then lifted his boxers over his rock hard dick. Mmm...Dean licked his lips at the sight of Cas naked. He lined up his mouth with the big pulsing cock in front of him and then tucked his arms under Cas' legs. Dean looked into Cas' bright blue eyes as he licked his hard length from base to tip and then slowly swallowed it into his mouth. Cas' head fell back in ecstasy at the feel of Dean's hot warm mouth around his cock. The pleasure was almost too much. "Ah, oh, Dean. Yes. Just like that baby." He praised the blonde man. Dean sucked, and licked, and lapped at Cas' beautiful cock until he felt it pulse on the edge of climax. "Fuuuuck." Cas cursed, completely overtaken by the sensations. Then Dean swallowed all of him while continuing to bob up and down until Cas came hard down his throat. Dean pulled off once Cas relaxed and he laid down beside him breathing heavily. They both laid in silence, watching the stars above as they came down from their high. Cas kicked off his pants. "Okay. I can miss one Sunday." Cas said when his breathing returned to normal. Dean laughed heartily and kissed him on his forehead. "I'll try not to tempt you on Saturday nights anymore, as long as I can have you every other day of the week." Dean offered. "Deal. Now, it's my turn to take care of you." Cas told him. "Mmm, yeah?" Dean asked. "Mmm-hmm." Cas hummed as he kissed Dean's neck.

At church the next day Gabriel smiled and shook his head knowingly at the empty seat in the first row.


End file.
